Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Several leaders and officials from within the Kingdom and abroad congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on his ascendance to the throne and said they wished the King would continue taking the Kingdom to new heights of growth and development and further consolidate the “strong” foundations of security and stability laid by his late predecessor King Abdullah. Congratulating King Salman, Oman's Sultan Qaboos wished him good health to discharge his responsibilities. He also prayed to Allah to enable the new Saudi leadership to achieve more progress and prosperity. King Abdullah II of Jordan described King Salman, Crown Prince Muqrin and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, second deputy premier and interior minister, as “the best successors to a great predecessor”. He voiced confidence that King Salman would continue to serve his country and people and stand by the Arab and Islamic nations at all times, a Royal Court statement said. Highlighting his strong ties with the Saudi leader, the Jordanian monarch said King Salman had supported Jordan at all times and recalled his historical and honorable pro-Jordan stance that helped his country to address challenges. The king said that the cooperation and strategic partnership between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which have developed “tremendously” over the years, had set a model for deep inter-Arab relations. The monarch said King Abdullah was dedicated to serving the issues of the Arab and Muslim nations. He said: “We in Jordan, as well as the Arab and Islamic nations, have lost a great and outstanding leader known for his wisdom and far sightedness. “He had dedicated his life to serving his country and people as well as the people of other Arab and Muslim countries and their just causes.” He added that Jordan had lost a “dear father and brother whose memory will live on in our consciousness and will remain a source of pride and high esteem.” Iran's President Hassan Rouhani also expressed condolences on the death of King Abdullah. In a cable sent to King Salman, Rouhani appealed to Allah to bestow His mercy on King Abdullah and help the Saudi Royal Family, government and people to be patient over this great loss. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry expressed in a statement “deep sorrow” over the loss of one of the Arab and Islamic nations' “most sincere leaders who dedicated his life to serving his people and the nation.” The ministry statement said the King was a good supporter of Yemen. The Board of Senior Scholars lauded King Salman's decision to continue the policies of King Abdullah and his predecessors to ensure the Kingdom's stability and unity. Fahd Al-Majed, secretary-general of the board, said the speech of the King emphasized his determination that the country's policies would continue to be formulated on the basis of the Holy Qur'an and prophetic teachings as well as the policies of King Abdulaziz and his successors. Minister of Social Service Abdurahman Al-Barak said the vast experience, comprehensive vision and remarkable achievements of King Salman as emir of Riyadh and crown prince would help him to take the country to “new heights of progress and prosperity as well as to a glorious future with more achievements.” Deputy Minister of Education Noura Al-Faiz said King Salman's ascension to the throne would further boost the cohesive and harmonious relations between the government and people. While paying tribute to King Abdullah, she said the King was a great reformer and visionary leader whose main concern was ensuring the security and stability of the Kingdom, the Arab region and the entire world, as well as to enable people to enjoy the “fruits of development and growth.” Several women members of the Shoura Council offered their condolences on the death of King Abdullah. Wafa Tayyiba said King Abdullah's reign was an era of progress and prosperity during which the Kingdom enacted numerous reforms including the empowerment of women, development of human resources, judicial reforms, and expansion of the Two Holy Mosques. Hanan Al-Ahmadi said the people of Saudi Arabia as well as other Arab and Muslim countries have lost an “icon whose contributions have benefited the entire world.” She said: “King Abdullah will find a place in history as a great visionary leader and engineer of transformation.” On her part, Fadwa Abu Mureef, another member, said King Abdullah provided strong leadership for the Kingdom to achieve remarkable and comprehensive growth and development in all spheres of life. Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, said the death of King Abdullah left a great void in the Islamic world. In a condolence message, he drew attention to the outstanding contributions rendered by the late King to the Islamic world in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Turki said Saudi Arabia witnessed launching of giant development projects and establishment of several universities and centers of higher education to develop the human resources. “King Abdullah had ordered the largest ever expansion in the history of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, in addition to making giant leaps in improving the facilities for pilgrims. The King contributed immensely to promote world peace and harmony through launching interfaith dialogue and bringing closer among Sunnis and Shiites and Palestinian factions,” he said, while commending the King's historic role in rooting out terrorism from the Kingdom's soil and concerted efforts to stamp it out from the world as a whole.
